BUSINESSES in Wales are being advised to take a flexible attitude towards their employees during the Rugby World Cup which kicks off this weekend.

ACAS – the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service – has published a set of guidelines to ensure that both workers and their bosses operate in a flexible manner to stop staff calling in sick or performing poorly.

Warren Gatland and his team’s quest to be crowned world champions in New Zealand – which is 11 hours ahead of the UK – begins against reigning holders South Africa on Sunday.

Although that first fixture will be shown here at 9.30am, the time delay means Wales’ other pool fixtures will be screened sometimes before the sun has even risen.

The clash with Samoa kicks-off at 4.30am on Sunday, September 18, while the Namibia Test will be at 7.30am on Monday, September 26, and the Fiji match is at 6am on Sunday, October 2.

ACAS recommends employers fairly consider annual leave requests, monitor sickness absences and even consider a flexible working day – swapping shifts or allowing workers to keep up to date with events in New Zealand on TV or online.

ACAS said: “The adoption of best practice and flexibility from both employers and employees throughout the Rugby World Cup period is the key to a productive business and an engaged workforce.”

Psychology professor Cary Cooper called for Welsh employers to work with their rugby-loving staff to ensure a productive and absence-free month.

The Lancaster University professor said: “The Rugby World Cup will most definitely have an impact, but employers are getting used to events like this, and of course we are going to have the Olympic Games next July.

“So we are getting more and more flexible working conditions and if I was an employer, I’d try to build on that flexibility.”

Professor Cooper stressed that small and medium enterprises, which make up a majority of Wales’ businesses, would have more problems if their employees took time off to accommodate the tournament.

“The employer has to find a way of working with each other to overcome the problems that may occur. It’s not as if the tournament goes on for months, it’s just a few weeks,” he said.

“And there will be positive effects on workers’ performances – especially if Wales do well.”

He said employers should accept that the tournament is important to many staff and communicate with them about it, rather that take a punitive stance.

A spokeswoman for insurance giant Admiral Group, based in Cardiff, said the company’s office always screen major sporting events to keep their sports-mad employees happy and at work.

The spokeswoman said: “We try to be flexible and accommodate people if they want time off during the tournament.

“We have televisions on each floor so people who do want to watch the football, rugby, or Wimbledon, can.”